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This entry was posted on Thursday, November 26th, 2009 at 12:00 pm and is filed under International Politics, NZ Politics.
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F**k me, the world must be ticking along really really nicely if this is an agenda item for Heads of Government! Not worth the plane fare for John and assorted hangers-on to be there for. Send a couple of Kaumatua to sort it out with Brown and concentrate on the important stuff at home.

Yes the defender of the faith not actually being of that faith. Your logic is not like our earth logic David.

Does Brown not actually have anythign important to do? I’m sure his troops in combat would like it if he spent some time actually giving them the equipment they need to stay alive instead of arsing about trying to lift his ratings with a dead cat bounce.

Britain could elect a monarch every few years, but it might get block voting from Muslims for an Emir, from gays and transvestites for a male queen, or from the lefties for some socialist nob.

Better to make the post as symbolic and powerless as Gov-General is in NZ, and follow us into becoming a de facto republic, but keeping castles and airheads for the tabloids, tabloid TV, and girlie magazines.

If we had a meaningful Bill of Rights then this provision might be considered contrary to it and therefore unconstitutional in the sense that it would contravene our Bill of Rights. As it is we have a toothless document full of platitudes. Time to sever the links with the United Kingdom and entrench a real document that is representatative of current New Zealand rights and values.

The effective head of state in NZ is the Prime Minister. The Governor-General, effectively appointed by the Government, is a symbolic figure with no real power at all. The Queen is one step removed from that, a symbol for stamps and coins etc, and provider of a family that feeds the NZ populace’s need for world-leading celebrities occasionally. The Royal family link is also a cultural symbol of the British and Maori treaty and understanding that underpins this country.

If MyNameisJack had his way, we would move from an exceedingly economical political structure of a de facto republic, to an expensive full republic, with another layer of bureaucracy and political lackeys. In all likely we would end up with presidents like Helen the Horrid.

That would be a thousand times more bizarre than our present symbolic heads of state.

We have a separate act that covers this, we could technically change our own legislation for a new Queen/King if we didn’t like the British sucession. But as we have a double eldest male sucession coming up, this is probably the time to do it before the next generation in line appears.

I’m in favour of keeping the British royal family as our Head of State, but if republicism is done right I can live with it. At the moment there doesn’t appear to be any clarity about how NZ could proceed on this, do we want an Irish model, a French model, or a US model?

Michael E (260) Vote: 1 0 Says:
November 26th, 2009 at 8:05 pm
We have a separate act that covers this, we could technically change our own legislation for a new Queen/King if we didn’t like the British sucession. But as we have a double eldest male sucession coming up, this is probably the time to do it before the next generation in line appears.

I’m in favour of keeping the British royal family as our Head of State, but if republicism is done right I can live with it. At the moment there doesn’t appear to be any clarity about how NZ could proceed on this, do we want an Irish model, a French model, or a US model?
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Indeed. My greatest concern about changing our constitutional arrangements is that the entire process becomes a means to give politicians and interest groups yet more power with out any checks or balances.

Good to see that Brown is so on top of his job that he can spend time on this slick-fisted pc trivia.

Yes- let’s make NZ a republic. That way Helen Clark can ultimately return to the homeland and supplant the GG as our new figurehead State President. A Latin American presidential sash really goes well with trouser suits.